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How Hard Is Your Job!

How Hard Is Your Job!!
The other night a musical appreciationists named Wil Gardner stated a fact that I thought about and took true.
He stated as a dj. I have one of the hardest jobs. In which I do when you lay out the facts.
2 hours of setup and tear down per show. Add travel to that equation. 4 to 12 hours on your feet. Talking and entertaining.
Constantly thinking of what you are going to do every 3.5 minutes. Working in every weather condition. Getting ripped off on price and pay. Being the pun of insults and punishing comments by judgmental assholes.
Last week I opened the door for this guy literally. I played a request that was out of the norm and he returned 7 times. Once to ask how I liked it and once to request another. Five more times to bitch and ask why I'm not playing his last request. Don't ever take a tip in money or a drink. Then they think you are owned. All night long all they want for the price of their first and only tip.
Then you have the common girl like my friend's drunk sister who became belligerent because I wouldn't continue to play Grateful Dead.
At one of my venues. I come in during dinner for over 150 people. I start as background music and make sure everyone knows by the end of the night I am the entertainment. They do not allow booty gangster. I played one of my best sets of good music. Many great compliments but still that one girl. "is this the best you got? I haven't heard anything good to dance to. You need to go back to playing in your bedroom." I did come back with "Why yes the is the best I got and I'm sorry you hate good music. There's a bar down the street more suited to your needs."
Then there is the mess cleaning. When a potential boss calls and says. I will have a job for you tomorrow because I am firing my employee tonight. Do you respond. I can't take the job because I feel bad for that person. Of course not. But when the job is a public job that has devoted followers. Resentment is around the corner. When I step into a job I did not maliciously go after it to cause jealousy and pain with the person that was fired. This is why I have quite a few haters in the biz, but it bothers me not. I proved this every time when at least least one person will state. You are so much better. Or I enjoyed that a lot more.
I hate the worst option in my business. That's when I am brought in as the last hope for a failing business. I go from the chosen one to fired and disgraced when I don't come through. It is easy to lose a job or have a difference with the management. Remember there are no classes for bar owner in high school. Most owners and managers are really clueless and stubborned when it comes to their vision.
In this business I only speak for myself. I do recommend a few that have proven their track record. But remember there is no class for dj in school either. Most are inappropriate idiots that have equipment and the desire to make you like dubstep. They all usually cut their own throats. Or realize it takes a lot of effort to be punctual. Keep the equipment running and keeping the jobs coming.
What really makes it the best job in the world is. I never clock into a time clock. The owner and managers have more respect for me than the ones that do clock in for them. Whether its a table in the corner or a stage in front of hundreds. I get to entertain. People know my name. Whether they hate or love me. I meet more people every week. Last I get the nod from someone. That's when someone acknowledges that I made their night.
Plus it gives me something to do at the party. If I wasn't a dj. I would be that guy leaning against the wall bored.

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